THE MP54 OF 1908 - THIS IS NOT A PING THIS CAR TYPE WAS KNOWN AS A "MAINLINER"
BILL RUGEN PHOTO
TRAINS OF MP54'S CONSISTED ENTIRELY OF MOTORS
THESE WOODEN CENTER-DOOR ELEVATED CARS WERE BUILT IN 1898 FOR SERVICE TO BROOKLYN BRIDGE VIA THE FLATBUSH AVENUE EL. IN 1905 THEY WERE WIRED FOR OPERATION AS TRAILERS WITH THE MP41'S.
TYPICAL SEVEN CAR TRAIN WITH FOUR MP41 MOTORS AND THREE CENTER DOOR WOOD TRAILERS ON THE FOUR TRACK SECTION BETWEEN "QY" CABIN AND "BM" TOWER.
MAY 1913 JAMAICA
- IN 1915 THE OPERATION OF THESE CARS BETWEEN STEEL CARS WAS OUTLAWED BY THE STATE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION.
TO REPLACE THESE TRAILERS THE RAILROAD DESIGNED THE T54
THE PING
THE CAR WAS DESIGNED BY CHESTER HYDE AND BUILT BY STANDARD STEEL CAR COMPANY. THUS THESE INITIALS STENCILED ON THE TRUCK.
NUMBERS 921 AND 922 WERE LATER EQUIPPED WITH STEAM LINES AND BELT - DRIVEN GENERATORS, MODERNIZED, AND BECAME CLASS P54D NUMBERS 7921 AND 7922
UNTIL AUTOMATIC DOOR CONTROL WAS INSTALLED
THE DOORS WERE OPERATED MANUALLY FROM BETWEEN THE CARS
THE FIRST PING MOTOR THE 1920 MP54B AFTER MODERNIZATION NUMBER 1683 BECAME 4683
THE FRONT TRUCK WAS MOTORIZED AND DIFFERED FROM THE REAR TRAILER TRUCK
NUMBER 1717 WAS AN MP54C BUILT IN 1920 AND HAD A DIFFERENT STYLE TRUCK
1920 MP54C'S NUMBERS 1698 THROUGH 1707 HAD TRUCKS WITH EQUALIZERS WHICH LATER BECAME STANDARD ON THE LATER CARS THE 1698 DID NOT GET EQUIPPED WITH AUTOMATIC SPEED CONTROL AND BECAME MOTORIZED TRAILER NUMBER 5698.
TRUCK WITH EQUALIZER BAR -
THIS THIRD RAIL SHOE BEAM HAS A TRIPPER - AUTOMATIC TRAIN STOP - MECHANISM
IN 1930 STEAM LINE P54D'S NUMBERS 51 THROUGH 90 WERE EQUIPPED WITH MOTORS AND CONTROLS, RENUMBERED 1944 THROUGH 1983 AND RECLASSIFIED AS MP54D1. THEY HAD ANOTHER TRUCK TYPE. AFTER MODERNIZATION 1944 BECAME 4944